1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a system for sensing and mapping a body component, and more particularly, for mapping dental structures.
2. Prior Art
The remote sensing and mapping of remote components is desirable in the medical field, and particularly so in the dental field. This would permit the treatment, replacement, and resurfacing of body elements, if such tracking and sensing were available. Such remote sensing is desirable in the dental field, for the manufacture of crowns and tooth restoration.
Some devices are shown in the following patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,139 to Mushabac, entitled "Mechanical support for hand-held dental/medical instrument"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,049 to Mushabac entitled "Method, system and mold assembly for use in preparing a dental prosthesis"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,184 to Mushabac, entitled "Method and apparatus with multiple data input stylii for collecting curvilinear contour data"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,391 to Mushabac, entitled "Device for obtaining three dimensional contoured data and for operating on a patient and related method"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,454 to Mushabac, entitled "Method, system and mold assembly for use in preparing a dental restoration"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,472 to Mushabac entitled "Method using reference indicia on tape attached to mouth surface to obtain a three dimensional contour data"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,039 to Mushabac entitled "Method and apparatus for preparing tooth or modifying dental restoration"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,448 to Mushabac entitled "Method for facilitating dental diagnosis and treatment"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,578 to Mushabac entitled "Method and apparatus for affecting change in shape of pre-existing object". Each of the foregoing Mucabac Patents are incorporated herein by reference, in their entireties.
It is an object of the present invention, to provide a remote sensing apparatus and method which further improves upon the prior art.
It is yet a further object of the present invention, to provide a remote sensing apparatus which is useful for sensing human body components for the medical field.